Time Stands Still
by Padfoot Whore
Summary: After a runaway, Rayne Harman, runs into a group of mutant hunters and is saved by logan, she finds more than exceptance at Xavier's School
1. Blood

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the X-Men so don't sue me `cause I have no money either way. And once this story develops a plot-it will belong to me.  
  
Kay, this is my first fic on X-men (besides a pass-a-long with my friends so it doesn't count-- and this is kind of based on my character from that story so if you are writing in that pass-a-long then you'll see some similarities) and Rayne Harman is my original character (as is Joshua Marsters)-- so please don't steal. And sorry my chapters are too short and I'm sorry if it sucks. Please leave a review and let me know if something should be changed.THANKS!  
  
Blaise  
  
Time Stands Sill  
  
Chapter One: Blood  
  
Rayne's eyes opened with a start. She had to admit that she wasn't at all used to sleeping in an abandoned warehouse, even after five years of being a runaway. She brushed a few strands of her natural colored silvery-blue hair out of her face as her quicksilver eyes refocused to her dark surroundings. She looked at the scattered teens around her-- all of them were runaways, and all of them young mutants struggling to stay alive in a world full of people who hated them.  
  
A few feet away (they all preferred to keep their distance after an incident involving a girl waking up from a bad dream and burning a few surrounding kids,) her friend, Joshua, sat finishing off a bottle of cheap liquor. She and Josh had been friends ever since they had met four years ago when they were both fourteen and running away from a group of hunters. Joshua had saved her life, and she had stuck by him ever since.  
  
"Hey Josh," Rayne said moving a closer to him, but carefully staying away, she didn't want to shock him. Her powers still weren't that controlled and every now and then, her electro kinesis went haywire and hurt people around her.  
  
The boy looked up at her, bright blue eyes clouded at the moment as he smiled slightly in her direction. He was a decent looking boy, clean cut face that at the moment had brown stubbles on his chin from the lack of a razor, framed by light brown hair that he wore long at the moment.  
  
"Hi," Joshua said before taking another swig from the bottle then offered it to her." Want some?" Rayne took the offering and gulped down two large sips and then handed it back for him to polish it off. Her throat burned, and she grimaced-- she loved alcohol. It was one of the best solutions to her problems. It made her forget, and it made her reality fade.  
  
"How long d'you wanna stay here, love" Josh said as he threw the bottle across the room, smashing against the wall. "It seems pretty safe for now but it won't take long for someone to notice a bunch of teenagers shacked up in this hell hole."  
  
Rayne looked at Josh and then back to the others who were scattered around the large room. She wondered what it would have been like if there was no mutant `problem,' if they had grown up as `normal' teenagers. She could bet that more than half of them wouldn't be here.  
  
"Yeah, a few more days then? Where would you wanna go next? Should we leave the state altogether or.." Her voice was cut off by a loud crashing noise. All the windows seemed to implode and dozens of man dressed in all black entered the room.  
  
"Hunters," she snarled, throwing her jacket off and concentrating on herself, attempting to harness one of her powers. She grabbed Joshua and they both disappeared.  
  
One of the hunters looked around confusedly, Rayne held back a chuckle. This had to be her favorite `gift,' the power to turn invisible. But, it was unpredictable since she had never truly figured out how to control it, so she knew, as did Josh, that they had little time to escape.  
  
As they made their way towards the stairs, Rayne noted that some mutants were running away while others fought the hunters, hoping to rid the world of single-minded fools who hated them as much as they hated the hunters. Suddenly, Rayne was pushed roughly to the ground as a bullet whizzed past her.  
  
"JOSH!" She scrambled to her knees and crouched beside him, swearing to herself that she did not notice the moment when her `power' stopped working. She traced the source of the gushing blood to Josh's right abdomen. From her quick examination, she could tell that without proper medical attention-- which they definitely did not have the money for, he would die. A few solitary tears escaped her eyes and she combed a shaky hand through his hair, as she concentrated on the five hunters closing in on her. They had put away their guns thinking that she would be caught off- guard and therefore be an easy capture. Turning around she flashed a toothy smile, and raised her arms as electricity coursed through her body. 


	2. Hero

Chapter Two: Hero  
  
Logan was on his, well Scott's, motorcycle when his animalistic instincts informed him that something was amiss. Pulling over in front of the shabby old warehouse, he quirked an eyebrow and strained his ears. There was a fight going on, of course he knew that already, but something was pulling him, forcing him to go see what was up and possibly help out.  
  
Taking two or three stairs at a time, he made it up to the third floor where most of the action was going on. Around thirty, maybe forty men dressed in all black were fighting a group of various ages of teens, most of them already lying in a heap on the ground while a few stronger ones battled on, clearly on the verge of losing. One girl, an apparent mutant, caught his eye.  
  
She had bright silver eyes that, even in this darkness, gleamed with fury as she lashed out at those around her. Her long silvery-blue hair fell to her lower back, and cascaded over her shoulders, giving her an ethereal sort of appearance. At the moment, she was fighting off seven of the hunters. He watched in awe as he used expert fighting skills (as well as her mutation) to harm the hunters. All the sudden she collapsed, and the hunters closed in. But lucky for her, Logan's claws came out with a loud `Snikt' noise, attracting attention and he smiled ruefully.  
  
Logan battled the hunters for long moments until the last one fell at his feet. Retracting his claws, he took two graceful steps over the bodies on the ground and lifted the silvery haired girl into his arms.  
  
Her eyes opened, and her brow furrowed in slight confusion, she looked over to the men strewn across the floor. "Did I do all that?"  
  
Logan laughed, "With a little help from me. Listen are you alright? What's your name?"  
  
"Rayne," she said before a gasp of pain escaped her lips.  
  
Logan looked her over, noticing a large spot of blood, the source was a few inches below her left shoulder-- dangerously close to her heart.  
  
"We better get you some help-" Logan started but was cut off.  
  
"No," looking around once more, her eyes grew wide and her voice became jagged.  
  
"Don't worry kid, I'm one of the good guys," Smiling wolfishly at her as she shook her head once more.  
  
"You have to, help Josh. It's my fault he's hurt. Look," She pointed at a boy that looked around eighteen or nineteen and was passed out on the floor with a visible gun wound.  
  
"Okay, can you walk a bit? `cause then I can carry him a little easier," Logan stood up and walked over to Josh and lifted him with one arm while the other half supported Rayne.  
  
After several interesting moments of shuffling down three flights of stairs, they were outside. Allowing Rayne to lean up against the brick building, Logan pulled out a small device and started talking into it in a low and incomprehensible voice.  
  
"What's that?" Rayne asked, seeming kind of suspicious of his actions. Logan glanced up, but before he could answer a woman's voice sounded from the device.  
  
"Logan? Ororo and I will be there in a few minutes, do the mutants need medical assistance?" Jean's voice was becoming slightly annoying to him and he just blatantly said a cold and unattached "Yes" before putting the device back into his leather jacket.  
  
"It's a long distance walkie-talkie. Nothin' special."  
  
"What's your name?" And with that the Blackbird hovered over them. 


	3. Smile

Disclamer: I don't own any of the X-Men.sadly. But Rayne Harman, Josh Marsters, and the plot belong to me.  
  
Sorry for the delay. Plot bunnies, you know. So working on five stories didn't help. Don't kill me for my stupidity please! Oh yeah, and this story isn't any longer than the others so it'll only take you like a minute to finish.  
  
Blaise  
  
Time Stands Still  
  
Chapter 3: Smile  
  
Logan sat in the living room, one leg draped over one of the arm rests. Everyone kept looking up at him and looking away, maybe it was because out of nervousness he kept extending his claws. 'Snikt, snikt.' Bobby walked over to Logan, away from Jamie and Remy who sat motionless on the couch staring at the blank screen.  
  
Leaning down to Logan's ear level, Bobby whispered in his ear "Don't worry, she'll be okay."  
  
"Thanks Popsicle," Logan laughed, trying to make is state seem less serious then it was.  
~*~  
  
Rayne sat up quickly, sweat forcing her hair to cling to her neck and forehead. A small gasp escaped her lips as she felt a searing smile erupt from her shoulder. She closed her eyes, and gripped the sides of the medical table she laid on, attempting to regain control so she could figure out what had gone on.  
  
"You are awake I see, I must let the Professor know this. Let me ask you how is your wound feeling?" A deep voice, not matching the one from the man who had saved her and Josh from the hunters. 'Josh.'  
  
"Where's Josh? Is he okay?" She opened her eyes and looked in the direction of the voice and felt a wave of shock course through her. She was staring a large blue man, who slightly resembled a teddy bear. 'He's a mutant. Maybe I hit my head when I passed out, that would explain why there is a large blue mutant giving me medical attention.'  
  
"Miss, your friend is in critical condition, he should pull through in a few days, but if you would let me assess your wounds you can meet with the Professor." The man walked over and ushered Rayne to lay back down as he dressed her wounds. She took these few minutes to recollect her thoughts.  
  
"You know, you are lucky that Logan showed up when he did. You and your friend would probably be dead if it was not for him. Well, that seems to be it. I will need to see you in a day or so to make sure you do not tear any of the stitches."  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
"I am Dr. Henry McCoy. You may call me Hank." After Hank said this, Rayne heard the 'whoosh' sound an automatic door opening. She sat up slowly, cocking her head to the side so she could see who was entering. She didn't know what she was expected but it wasn't what she saw. An older bald man entered first in a silver wheelchair that had large X's on the wheels was the first to enter. After him was her feral looking hero ('Logan? Is that what Hank had said his name was?'), another man wearing sapphire colored glasses, and then a woman, with coco skin, white hair, and stunningly blue eyes.  
  
"Hello," the bald man in the wheel chair said to her smiling kindly at her, seeming to ease her fear and uncertainty of this place she was brought to. "I am Professor Charles Xavier, and these people behind me are the X-men."  
  
"Um, Okay," Rayne felt kind of ashamed that she didn't know what he was talking about, her being out of sync with most of the current events since she seldom found-or looked for-an up to date newspaper.  
  
"You mean you haven't heard of us?" The white haired beauty asked Rayne in a soothing voice and she just shook her head, feeling a small awkwardness when the woman exchanged glances with Logan.  
  
"That doesn't matter," the Professor started again. "What we would like for you to do is to describe what exactly happened with the hunters that attacked you and your friend."  
  
Rayne shot a glance to the curtain where Josh was recovering, then looked quickly at the group of people in front of her. "Well, basically, we were in the factory spending the night. The guys dressed in all black and were wearing funky night vision goggles-or hunters as you called them-jumped through the windows and started attacking everyone. Me and Josh tried to escape, then he got shot. Then I got mad and tried to fight them, that's when Logan here came in and saved me...or us rather."  
  
"That's all? There's nothing else you can tell us? Did they just try to kill all of you or did they have an ulterior motive?" The man with the red glasses said, sounding like he was a leader or something.  
  
"I'm sorry, I didn't think to ask. I was too busy trying to stay alive, but I'll be sure to remember it for next time alright?" Rayne rolled her eyes and started to feel slightly dizzy.  
  
"And who's leading them?" the younger man went on ignoring Rayne's comment. "Last time it was Stryker.Do you think it's him again?"  
  
"Well," Logan said in a slightly annoyed voice. "Unless he had developed powers like the Elf, then I'd have to say that he's dead-considering the fact that he was chained to concrete."  
  
"But then-"  
  
"Scott," the professor said putting a hand on the younger man's arm. "Let's leave Ms. Harman to rest for now. We can analyze the situation after she is rested. Ororo, I want you to try to find out anything you can on who is in charge of these hunters. We want to be able to stop them before they can strike again." The three nodded and left. Charles Xavier smiled again and moved closer to Rayne. "You can rest here, or you can have Logan show you where the dorms are so you can meet some of the other students."  
  
"Where am I?" Rayne asked, feeling as if she was reading off a script.  
  
"Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters." The professor paused for a moment, looking at Rayne as if to measure her up. "Now, if you may excuse me, I have some prior engagements," Xavier shot a knowing look at Logan and then quickly, he and Hank made their exit.  
  
"Hey," Logan said stiffly, and opened his mouth again as if he were going to say something else. Rayne smiled, sliding herself off of the medical table and walked over to where the rest of her clothes were folded neatly on a counter top. She slid into her ankle boots and slowly put on her black duster. "Are you okay?  
  
"Yeah, I should be, thanks to you Logan," Rayne felt her eyes tear up, and walked closer to him. "I never got to thank you for saving my life."  
  
Logan waved his hands to dismiss the thought. "Don't worry 'bout it, I'm just glad you're okay. You got me kinda worried there."  
  
"Really?" Rayne's eyebrows furrowed. She'd never had anyone really care about her.besides Josh. "Um, do you want to.show me around?"  
  
Logan smiled, "I'd love to." He stuck his arm out so she could grab onto him as her escort, and then they both left the hospital room with huge smiles playing across their lips.  
  
To the Reviewers: THANK YOU GUYS FOR REVIEWING!! I'M SO HAPPY YOU GUYS TOOK TIME TO ACTUALLY READ THIS! ::big grin::  
  
ladymorgaine- Death to kitty.hehe. Don't worry I'll put your Elf in there! Kay?  
  
Eamane-Calmcacil Rogue will show up (don't worry I don't like her either) and she'll be overly bitchy- (  
  
Lori- anomoyous reviews are accepted now. Sorry 'bout that.  
  
Freakyfaerie220- No iHop.sorry. John cant have his f-ing pigs in a blanket. That's the pass-a-long remember? lol 


	4. Bring me to life

Time Stands Still  
  
Chapter 4- Bring me to life...  
  
Rayne stretched out on the firm mattress below her, thinking of the events that had happened in the past few days. The horrid attack at the warehouse, Logan saving her and a few other runaway mutants, coming to this school as sanctuary.it was all blissful-especially the whole Logan aspect.  
  
The door to a connecting room opened, revealing an almost naked Logan standing on the threshold of the bathroom. He was clad in nothing but a towel-and he was practically dripping wet.  
  
"Hey," she said, a sweet smile stretched across her lips. "Last night was amazing." The feral mutant took two steps forward, the white towel slipping a few inches off his waist each time he moved.  
  
"You weren't so bad yourself," Logan lean across the bed and kissed Rayne passionately on the lips.  
  
Knock, knock.  
  
'Oh, no,' Rayne thought, wanting to go back to her dream, but was harshly forced back to the reality that she was all alone. Her eyes fluttered open and her foggy vision took in her surroundings. 'Still in Logan's room,' she thought with a giddy pleasure. After the tour of the mansion, Logan thought it best for her to just rest here in his room, rather than face the students in the midst of her fatigue. Rayne had a feeling it also had to do with these two girls who gave her the evil eye when seeing her arm-in-arm with Logan.  
  
"Yeah," She sat up, and stretched her waking limbs. The door opened and it was a girl there around her age with elbow length gloves on and two distinguishable streaks of white hair in the front of her head.  
  
"Rogue right?" Rayne got up to greet the girl who stood rigidly in the doorway.  
  
"I'm Rayne, it's nice to meet you." Rayne offered her hand and smiled toothfully, trying to make peace with Rogue. The girl just stared at her hand as if it were diseased.  
  
"That's nice, but Ah was lookin' for Logan. Bah." Rogue turned on her heel and stalked down the hallway.  
  
"Well Rayne, that was an excellent start. I didn't know my social kills were that off." Rayne leaned against the doorway, a single tear falling out of her silvery eye.  
  
She heard a 'BAMF' noise and a man who was slightly taller than her. He was covered from head to toe in a gorgeous blue fur, golden eyes, fanged teeth- and a certain charm that seemed to show through his looks, making him seem less like the first impression of a demon and more like a charming, flirty man who didn't seem to care what the world thought of his appearance.  
  
"Guten Tag, Rayne. I am Kurt Wagner," He said bowing slightly. "I am here to see if you would like to meet some people, and possibly check up on your friend Joshua."  
  
Rayne smiled. This guy was amazing. She new him for not even a minute and she liked him already. "That'd be great."  
  
"All right. If you would just hold onto me, we'll be down there before you know it." Rayne complied and closed her eyes. She'd heard of mutants with teleportation powers but, she was a little afraid for it being her first time.  
  
After a slight disorientation of adjusting to where she was, Rayne felt fine, normal. She hugged Kurt and thanked him before she allowed him to introduce her to the other teenagers in the medical labs.  
  
"This, is Lyra Bloom," Kurt said notably with a smile. Rayne smiled at Lyra as she took in her appearance in full. The girl was covered in tawny colored fur, she looked mostly human apart from her pointed ears, feet which are paw-like (And are even equipped with retractable claws), fanged canine teeth, and tail which looked around 3 to 3 ½ feet long. Her hair was chin length and a dark reddish color and her eyes were an amber color. Rayne came to the conclusion quickly that this girl had the same kind of air about her as Kurt did-that she did not care what anyone else thought about her appearance.  
  
"I'm Rayne, it's nice to meet you."  
  
"Yeah, we sorta met before," Lyra said offering a toothy smile. "I was a little busy fighting off those hunters." Rayne titled her head slightly, and after a moment her eyes widened in dawning recognition.  
  
"You're the one who started that fire!?!?! And-! I saw you fighting, you were amazing!" Lyra smiled again, and Rayne swore she saw a faint hint of color rise in her cheeks.  
  
"Aw, it was nothing. It was pretty impressive how you took out a whole group of them with one surge of lightning--" Lyra stopped as she, Rayne and Kurt looked up at Scott who had just cleared his throat.  
  
"Yes?" Lyra snarled almost in a growl at the interruption.  
  
"Just letting you all know," Cyclops gave a significant yet unnecessary look at Kurt. "That the professor said that dinner will be ready at exactly seven o'clock so do not-I repeat, do not be late." With that, the X-men's 'leader' left the room.  
  
"Okay, there goes Xavier's little bitch," a voice said from behind Rayne that startled her. She turned around fully and saw a boy that was taller than she with short spikey black hair and bright hazel eyes.  
  
"Ja," Kurt said followed by a slight cough. "And this here fellow is Jarrod."  
  
"Nice to meet you," Rayne said.  
  
"Ditto," Jarrod said rather half-mindedly before glancing back at the door. "Just wondering, has anyone else noticed that he spends way too much time alone with the professor? I mean, whenever he leaves, he's always going to 'meet' the professor in his office."  
  
They all burst into laughter, Rayne couldn't remember when she was happier. A few minutes later they all went upstairs to the living room where a few people where watching television.  
  
"Hey," a man with blondish-brown hair and icy blue eyes around Rayne's own age said as the four of them entered the room, irrevocably forcing everyone else to look up as well. Next to the welcomer (who was of course Bobby Drake, the ice-wielder of whom Logan had introduced her to) was Rogue, her face souring as she laid eyes upon Rayne and almost protectively grabbed Bobby. There where only two other people in the room, one being Ororo Monroe who sat on the edge of the arm chair to the same couch that Bobby and Rogue sat, and the other was Rayne's own personal hero (duh, Logan).  
  
"Hey," Logan said, his gaze not shifting from Rayne's as she felt herself blush. She walked over and sat next Bobby since Logan was sitting in a recliner where she would not have been able to have found a place to sit ('beside his lap.' Rayne thought with a smirk curling the edges of her lips). Her other three companions sat on an unoccupied couch with Kurt and Lyra quite close together on one end while Jarrod sat spaced away at the other end.  
  
"How was your rest?" Logan's gruff voice was once again lowered with a touch of softness that made Rayne's heart flutter with sickening delight.  
  
"It was great, your room is so comfortable," Rayne leaned forward, sitting upon the edge of the couch.  
  
"You know what else is comfortable?" Bobby said, apparently trying to be the little jokester once more. Everyone looked over from their conversations in muted silence as Bobby's brow furrowed, apparently he didn't think his joke through. They sat there for about five minutes waiting for him to finish his attempted joke.  
  
"Robert," Hank said from the doorway. "I am ashamed to say that I ever shared a box of Twinkies with you." Everyone, even those who did not know that Twinkies where a large favorite with Robert Drake and Henry McCoy, burst out in almost hysterical laughter. Behind Hank, another girl in her late teens began to enter the room and stopped after seeing the new mutants. After a moment of glaring at Lyra and Rayne, apparently she didn't mind Jarrod being there, the girl walked over so that she was standing beside Rogue who had gotten up after Hank's retort.  
  
Logan leaned over, "That's Kitty Pryde. She's not among one of the favorites around here considering how she blew the elf off." Logan chucked his thumb over to his right to indicate that he was talking about Kurt.  
  
"Was it because how he looks? 'Cause I think he looks fine."  
  
Logan arched an eyebrow, "Well, I know where I stand don't I?"  
  
"No, No I didn't mean it like that! I meant he looks great and it shouldn't bother him if someone could be that stupid not to look below the surface- and you don't stand behind anyone with me."Rayne's eyes got wide and she was talking in such a manner that all her words ran together so even if they did make any sense, no one would understand what she was saying.  
  
Logan laughed. "So, what can you do?" Rayne looked puzzled for a moment and looked a little taken aback. "Your powers?"  
  
"Oh! Sorry, I thought." Rayne took in a measured look of Logan and continued. "Never mind that. Um, I can produce and control electricity, turn invisible.nothing special really."  
  
"Okay, Sparks," Logan said with a smile.  
  
"Sparks?"  
  
"Yeah," Logan took a swing from his coke can. "That's what I'm going to call you. I have this thing where I call people different names.like I call Kurt elf, Professor Chuck.get it? And I thought that Sparks was cute."  
  
"You know, there are at least five other girls here from the 'rescue' mission," Rogue said loudly, arms folded over her chest.  
  
"Yeah I know, what do they think they're going to do? Steal all our guys like these two?" Kitty Pryde returned with the corners of her lips twitching with a smile.  
  
Rayne could hear the faint growl from Lyra across the room where she sat hand in hand with Kurt. Rayne stood up, stretched, and produced a fake yawn.  
  
"Jeez, I'm tired. I don't think I'm all that hungry." Rayne yawned again and turned to Logan, winking once at him. "Would you mind showing me were I can sleep tonight, please?" Rayne toyed with a strand of her hair and bit her lower lip, while Logan just kind of sat there with his right eye brow arched in it's usual manner. Just when Rayne thought that he didn't understand, Logan stood up and lunged at her, seizing her around the waist and hoisted her over his shoulder. Rayne let out a little squeal, almost purely out of delight.  
  
"Hey elf, make sure that no one wake me up in the morning," Logan glanced over his shoulder at Rayne. "I'll be up very, very late tonight."  
  
Hearing a few stifled laughs, Logan marched out of the living room and down the hallway. After he was sure that they were out of hearing range, he placed Rayne back on her feet, and they both burst out in laughter. Rayne stopped, noticing the short distance between them and the fact that Logan didn't remove his hands from her hips.  
  
Logan raised his left hand to brush a few strands of hair out of her face, his hand left stranded, cupping her cheek. 'If this is another dream I'm going to shoot myself,' Rayne managed to think as she looked up slightly into a pair of hazel eyes.  
  
Logan leaned closer to her until their lips met.  
  
sorry 'bout that, didn't really get to edit it I just really wanted to post something and I guess this'll have to do.  
  
To the Reviewers: Eamane-Calmcacil- that was as close as I could get to him being naked.for now he-he!  
  
Jhdafqfeqkafhkdsafnzksdfjaskfhaskjf- Don't worry, they'll be knockin' boots in no time ::wink:: just kidding. PG13 fic!  
  
LadyMorgaine- More Kurt okay? Lol I'll try to work him in more. And not to mention your cameo!!  
  
Also: Lunawolf, Guin, kristendotcom, Thank you for reviewing!! 


	5. Interlude

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the X-Men (sadly), But Rayne Harman, Josh Marsters, along with plot, belongs to me.  
  
Sorry for the delay. Writer's block sucks.  
  
Short lil' diddy here, trying to 'thicken' the plot here.  
  
~*~ Interlude  
  
"Did you exterminate the rouge mutants?" a figure cloaked in darkness asked addressing a man wearing fatigues who twitched at the sound of the voice.  
  
"We did our be-"  
  
"Are they exterminated?" the voice grew forceful, and malice.  
  
"Some of them escaped our attack, a possibility of nine at the most." Another man answered. "And that's not all, she was among them," thrusting a photograph at the ominous figure.  
  
~*~  
  
A/N: Yes short, I know but hey, I did update!  
  
Thanx again to all of you who enjoy this story and thank you for all the positive reviews, without you guys, I probably would've left this story after chapter 1. ::throws huge chocolate chip cookies at reviewers (if you don't like c.c. cookies, pretend I threw sugar cookies instead ok? Lol) 


	6. Panic Song in Joy and Sorrow

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the X-Men so don't sue me `cause I have no money either way. And once this story develops a plot-it will belong to me.  
  
Again, sorry for the delay it's been what.*counts* five months?? Geez. I am sorry. I hope you don't hold it against me, but, you know how it is with crappy writer's block, and picky muses. They can be bitchy at times.  
  
(huge thanx to all readers and reviewers, *grovels at their feel* forgive me!! LoL. Not only for the wait but this chappy hasn't-repeat-hasn't been edited.)  
  
Chapter 5- Panic Song in Joy and Sorrow  
  
Rayne lay in the tiny bed with a strong arm draped across her, and her back pressed up against a bare warm chest that was rising and falling in a comfortable rhythm. A sleepy smile reached her lips as watered down memories of the night before flooded her mind. Repositioning herself carefully, Rayne ended up face-to-face with the feral mutant, and lay there for endless moments staring at the beautiful man before her.  
  
"He looks so innocent when he sleeps," she thought with a mental laugh, raising a hand and placing it gently on Logan's cheek.  
  
Suddenly, a wave of guilt swept over her. While her life had taken a turn for the better, Joshua was in the basement fighting for his life, and it was all her fault. A rouge tear escaped her eye. Rayne slowly slid out of the bed and grabbed a random t-shirt and pajama bottoms from the floor to throw over her shorts and tank-top. Glancing back at the sleeping man, Rayne snuck away from the room like a thief in the night.  
  
Rayne made her way to the kitchen as quietly as possible, seeing only one other person in the hall way-that person being Scott Summers. Out of habit she turned invisible, which she couldn't really say that it was habit that kept her invisible it was more due to the fact that she didn't want to hear him scold her about being up at this hour.  
  
Rayne opened the door of the fridge and sighed. "Only healthy food," she muttered to herself, remembering something about how Ororo was in charge of groceries. 'Maybe I should mention to her that it wouldn't kill us to eat a bag of chips or some good ol' greasy food-stuff that normal people eat.' Shaking her head she grabbed the carton of milk, and shut the door.  
  
"I hope you're not gonna drink that out of the carton?" a groggy voice chimed from the doorway, forcing Rayne to jump, almost dropping the milk.  
  
It took a moment for Rayne's eyes to refocus to her surroundings before she saw the feline figure leaning on the door frame with her hair disheveled around her face that held a toothy grin.  
  
"Lyra, you scared the shit out of me. . . what are you doing up?" the blue haired mutant said before reaching up to a cabinet and retrieving two glasses for herself and Lyra.  
  
"Couldn't sleep. I'm still not used to this whole sheltered thing. I'm a bit surprised to see you down here after the little show you and the Wolverine put on," Lyra let out a distinctive laugh. "But anyway, what are you doin' down here?"  
  
Rayne poured two full glasses before answering, "Uh, pretty much the same- couldn't sleep."  
  
"Uh-ha. . ." Lyra took a sip of her milk while looking at the other mutant girl with a knowing stare.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Nothing," the feline mutant said in an innocent tone. "I just find it hard to believe that you couldn't sleep with Logan by your side. But, anyways, what do you think about it here?"  
  
Rayne ran a hand through her hair and contemplated the question. Sure the whole Logan aspect was an amazing aspect of it, but could she see herself making a life here? Become part of the X-Men-if they'd even have her.  
  
"It's kinda like a story how there's people uniting-and fighting for the welfare of mutant kind. . ." the young woman paused for a second biting her lower lip slightly before continuing. "It almost seems fake, but I guess it comes from being on your own, not thinking that anyone else will care about you. . . but people surprise you sometimes." Rayne realized that all her words were rough and ran together in not very well thought out sentences. "Sorry, if any of that even makes a little bit of sense."  
  
Lyra nodded in agreement, "It does have that feel to it, but the way I see it is that we've experienced the worst that our kind can have it and in order for there to be some suffering, there has to be some good-something that is worth fighting for, or even more, people who are willing to fight for it."  
  
Rayne smiled, this girl was wonderful, and suddenly-not just by her words, for words can be hollow without meaning to spark the soul-she knew she was going to be happy.  
  
"C'mon," Lyra said, tossing her glass into the dishwasher. "I think it's time to go to bed."  
  
Lyra and Rayne linked arms and headed towards their rooms, but in the hallway, therein lay a problem. Several imposing figures appeared before them, and once more out of shock Rayne turned them both invisible, but it seemed as though her luck had run out. Two of the men that now surrounded them reached out holding a small black devise in hand; Rayne felt a searing white hot pain in the small of her back before darkness engulfed her. 


	7. Here Without You

Disclaimer: See the previous chapters A/N: sorry its been awhile to any one who might still care about this fic. I'm trying desperately to keep up with all the stories but with starting an original one...its been hard. Well.... I hope you enjoy it... not sure if its worthy of the elapsed time but I tried  
  
Chapter 7- Here without you. . .  
  
Logan woke up with a start, a painfully numbing sensation swept over his being—he was alone. Groggily, his hand caressed the cooling vacant space beside him where Rayne had last been; he jumped out of bed and rushed out of his room without a second thought as to his appearance.  
  
"Morning Logan," an adolescent voice called to him as he approached. "I hadn't expected you to be up so early. . . what with you being cooped up with Rayne the entire night." Amusement left Bobby's eyes when he scanned James' face quickly. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothin'," the gruff voice that answered betrayed his true emotions. He instinctively knew that something was wrong. It was the same feeling that he got when Rogue ran off. It was times like this when his animalistic senses horned in, telling him that something was amiss, and if he didn't figure out what that something was—there would be consequences to pay.  
  
Logan brusquely made his was through the hallways and secret passages with nothing but his sweatpants on, not giving a damn how he appeared to the other mutants—he was bent on finding out what was going on.  
  
"Xavier," his voice, laden with concern, filtered through the air once he was in the presence of the professor.  
  
Charles Xavier's wheelchair was already turning towards the half-dressed man, "Yes Logan."  
  
"Where's Rayne? Somethin's wrong."  
  
The professor closed his eyes for a mere twenty seconds and then opened them, his shock was visually evident. "Gone, I can't even sense her. I do—"  
  
"Then use Cerebro! I mean how could you have missed something like this? You're the world's greatest telepath and yet you can't even keep tabs on one of the runaway mutants that we had just saved from those damned hunters!! This school is supposed to be a sanctuary and yet somehow you manage to have the place taken over and girls go missing," Logan drew in a quick breath. He didn't know what had come over him but it was making him even more irrational than usual and he didn't like it much.  
  
"Calm down Logan, we'll find her. I'll notify Scott and Ororo and then we'll figure out the best course of action. Alright?"  
  
"Yeah Chuck."  
  


* * *

  
'Ugh, that's it. Not going anywhere without Logan.' Rayne mused as her eyes fluttered open to blurry grey surroundings that slowly came into focus. The ceiling was far above her and made of concrete, the ground cold as stone—which indicated that it was made of the same material as the ceiling. Rayne tilted her head to the side, cracking her neck in a "Logan-type" fashion, gathering herself together before she could try to make out the worst of her situation.  
  
Straining her ears, she tried to detect any signs of movement that would indicate an enemy nearby...but among the almost deafening silence, all she could make out was the distinct and regular breathing patterns of maybe three or four people.  
  
"Lyra," she said softly through bared teeth—trying not to indicate it was she who was talking in case they were being monitored. Instead of a response, she heard a faint whimper to the left of her. Tilting her head slightly, she saw her feline looking friend; she had a large gash on her face where the fur was matted with blood. There might have been more visible wounds but Rayne didn't have the time to look at them.  
  
Voices wafted through the air—male, official sounding. Panic flooded Rayne's mind, yet she lay absolutely still, especially when she heard a distant door opening.  
  
"So, you actually did something right for once lieutenant. I thought when this day came I would die in shock," the voice was deep and malicious—it sent chills down her spine. She remembered that voice, it chimed in her mind, claiming recognition but providing no answers to who it belonged to.  
  


* * *

  
The boy looked up at her, bright blue eyes clouded at the moment as he smiled slightly in her direction. He was a decent looking boy, clean cut face that at the moment had brown stubbles on his chin from the lack of a razor, framed by light brown hair that he wore long at the moment.  
  
A moan escaped his lips as his eyes opened slowly, before scanning the ceiling in a dazed manner. Suddenly, as his mind shouted a single word to him, pounding it relentlessly in his mind trying to make an impression, Joshua shot straight up in bed.  
  
"Rayne," his voice croaked, and he raised his complying arm to slide himself off of the table where he had lain for the past several days.  
  
As he shifted his weight to his legs, his knees wobbled and he began to feel light-headed; he shook off the pain and unstable feelings, to make his way slowly to the door of the white med-lab he was in. 


End file.
